Tao and Taoism (Daoism)

Taoism binds together opposite and complementary forces, yin and yang, which are interdependent in nature. Yin is believed to represent femininity and water, while yang is the masculine energy and light. When these dualities are well-balanced in life; the belief is a result in an uninfluenced pure self.

Tao and Taoism

Taoism is a Chinese
philosophy centered around the concept of Tao. It stresses the
unification of contraries. Taoism also seeks harmony with nature.

The primary text of Taoism
is Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, which works to express the essence of Tao.
The book stresses the ineffability of the Tao, and is the second most
translated book after Christianity's Holy Bible. It is also one of
the oldest books known in the world.

The Tao Te Ching is
composed of 81 poems, each of which focuses on either an aspect of
Tao or an aspect of being an effective leader.

"Doing
the right thing" is like water.

It's
good for all living things, and flows without thinking about where
it's going

...just
like Tao.

--
excerpted from Ron Hogan's translation

Taoist
ethics are concerned less with doing good acts than becoming a good
person who lives in harmony with all things and people.

Because of this, devoted
Taoists tend to be nice and accommodating people.

Nonetheless, it is
important to distinguish between Taoism as a philosophy(as described
above) and Taosim as a religion. Taoist religious practices include
numerous occult rituals including 'internal alchemy'-the ingestion of
minerals and herbs to supposedly restore balance to one's Yin and
Yang energies-and the invocation of various pagan deities. The ideal
of the Taoist Sage is one who removes themselves completely from
society to live "in close harmony with the natural rhythm and
flow of life."

Taoism originated in
China. Accurate figures for the number of believers of Taoism are
elusive, for two reasons. Firstly, Taoism is a loosely defined faith,
so some people don't even realize they're practicing it. Secondly,
the Communist Chinese government does not record most religions in
its censuses, on account of the government's anti-religious stance.
However, Taoism is one of the five religions officially recognized by
the Chinese government, the others being Protestant
"Christianity", Catholicism
(see also Vatican
II "Catholicism"), Buddhism,
and Islam.

What is Taoism?

Taoism (also spelled
Daoism) is an ancient religion and philosophy that began in China
some 2,500 years ago. It's adherents are mostly found in Far Eastern
countries such as China, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Vietnam and
Singapore where its temples are found. Current estimates are that
several hundred million people practice some form of Taoism, with
some 20 to 30 million on the Chinese mainland. This is quite
remarkable since mainland China is a communist nation and forbids
many forms of religion. Like many religions, Taoism has its own set
of scriptures, the main one simply referred to as the "Tao."
Other texts are included, and the full spectrum of Taoist canon is
known as the Daozang. The word "Tao" comes from the
character in the Chinese alphabet of the same name. The word means
"way" or "path."

Taoism has never been a
unified religion, and some scholars place it in three categories:
philosophical, religionist and Chinese folk religion. Because of this
it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what Taoists believe. Roughly
stated, Tao deals with the flow of the universe, or the force behind
natural order that keeps all things balanced and in order. It is
considered to be a source of existence and "non-existence."
Some Eastern religions refer to this as the "yin and yang"
of the universe, which can also express itself as the equal forces of
"good" and "evil."

Most adherents of Taoism
believe anything from polytheism (belief in many gods) to ancestor
worship. Taoists tend to worship mostly on holidays in their calendar
when food is set out as a sacrifice to the gods or the spirits of
departed ancestors. Other forms of sacrifice include burning paper
money so it will rematerialize in the spirit world for a departed
ancestor to use. A number of martial arts disciplines such as T'ai
Chi Ch'uan and Bagua Zang have their roots in Taoism. Few people in
the Western world practice Taoism, and it would appear some have
confused Tao with Zen, as evidenced from the books The Tao of
Physics by Fritjof Capra or The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin
Hoff.

Taoism Beliefs

Taoism has the same
world-view as Confucianism or ancient Chinese folk religion. Its
philosophy operates within the same paradigms. It celebrates man's
association and interdependency with nature. Moving on to a wider
plane, the relationship between religion and the universe takes the
form of veneration, which lies beyond the confines of time and space,
ancestor worship and belief in the sovereign. The principles on which
Taoism thrives even today include Ch'i, Feng Shui, interdependency
between life and death, the Eight Immortals and the Ultimate Reality.

Ch'i: Ch'i is
also pronounced and spelled as Qi. This fundamental concept means
'breath'. However, Ch'i also refers to the flow of energy or life
force. The philosophy highlights the fact that there is a life force
that fills space and pervades everything around us. Ch'i is believed
to be the womb of matter. A balance of its quality and quantity is
considered very essential for health and wellness. It is considered
as the animator of life. Ch'i, according to ancient Chinese belief,
can be regulated through breath control and acupuncture.

Feng Shui:
Feng Shui is the Chinese art of placement. It involves the
stabilization of the flow of ch'i, yin and yang and the five
elements in any environment. This is believed to have an impact on
the health and wealth of occupants by redirection and acceleration.

Interdependency
between Life and Death: Life and death are considered as two
aspects of the same universal reality. This reality is also referred
to as Tao. Taoism understands death simply as a phase of
transformation, ideally understood as the shift from yang to yin.
This automatically eliminates any fear or desire for death. Taoism
believes that everything has an opposite. Duality is relative in
nature and forces are highly interdependent. Hence, Taoism does not
struggle or oppose any of the dualities. A perfect understanding of
this duality is believed to generate immortality and superhuman
ability. The exercises involved in achieving a better understanding
of the forces of duality include maintaining a balanced diet,
regulating breath, controlling sexuality and identifying with the
subsequent moral harmony.

A moral and upright life
is indeed important for achieving immorality and eternal life;
however, without the Faith
it is impossible to please God or attain to this end (Hebrews 11:6;
John 3:16).

The Eight
Immortals: Taoism identifies eight ageless and very powerful
beings. These powerful beings are believed to have been born in the
Tang dynasty. A mention of these Eight Immortals is made in Chinese
art and literature. Each one has its own symbol and special power
and together, they are associated with good fortune. The
interpretations are—age, youth, wealth, poverty, position,
rank, feminine, masculine and the commoner.

The Ultimate
Reality: In Taoism, Tao is defined as a natural order that is
not easily revealed. It not only encompasses all, but also has no
characteristics. Hence, the ultimate reality is best understood as
'being' and 'non-being'.

Taoism binds together
opposite and complementary forces, yin and yang, which are
interdependent in nature. Yin is believed to represent femininity and
water, while yang is the masculine energy and light. When these
dualities are well-balanced in life; the belief is a result in an
uninfluenced pure self.

Although
the word Tao means "way," it is not the true Way. There are
many religions which claim they are one of the ways to get to God.
But Jesus Christ said that He is the only way to God
(John 14:6). Because Taoism denies this, it fails in that it does
nothing to deal with the sin nature of mankind. Everyone who has ever
been born (except Jesus
and Mary) came into the world with original sin nature inherited
from Adam in the Garden of Eden, and it is that sin, in addition to
our own sins that we comity during life, that separates us from God.
A holy and righteous God cannot accept anything sinful in His sight.
But in His mercy, He sent His Son Jesus (who was God in the flesh)
into this world to die on the cross and exchange His righteousness
for our sin through baptism (2 Corinthians 5:2; Acts 2:38). It is
only by accepting this atoning death, receiving baptism
and believing in Christ that we can escape the judgment of God and
receive eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ,
not Tao, is the way to eternal life.

What is Yin Yang?

The concept of yin yang
(often called "the yin and the yang") is a Chinese
philosophical idea used to explain how opposite forces are
interconnected and interdependent upon each other. In other words,
black could not exist without white, dark without light, cold without
heat, etc. The yin yang concept is the basis of many branches of
classical Chinese science and philosophy, traditional Chinese
medicine, and different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise,
including tai chi.

As with much of Chinese
philosophy and culture, the concept of yin yang is mysterious and
complex and a full treatment of it is not possible here (see
yin yang). The connection between yin yang
and Taoism, however, is undeniable.

While Taoism is directly
contradictory to biblical Christianity, dichotomies (divisions into
two, especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or
entities) abound in the Bible. Jesus Christ is at one time fully God
and fully man, also known as the hypostatic union. Death is necessary
for life (John 12:24). Christians are new creations in Christ, but
live in the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 7:18-25). We are at one
time both God's children and His slaves (John 1:12; Ephesians 6:6).
We have died, but now we live (Galatians 2:20).

In the sense that
opposites exist in relation to one another, yin yang does relate to
truth. In its relation to Taoism and other false belief systems,
however, yin yang is definitely not biblical.

Copyright information: All videos and articles on our site are free to copy and share for free. Please remember to also include live links to the source of the information.
We are looking for translators who have the skill to make a good translation of important articles for the salvation of souls. We are also in need of translators who can translate Saint Bridget's Revelations into different languages. If you can help us on this important work, please contact us here.
We need your help! We are spending all the time our expenses among things like websites, webhotels, and giving away free material, dvds and books in order to warn people and tell them the truth. So if you like the material and want to help us—and be yourself a sharer—in saving souls, then please make a donation, pray for us and help us spread it in order to help our beloved brothers and sisters who have not found this information yet. If you have been graced by God with the means to do so, please support our work. Any donation that you can give is highly appreciated and much needed! Help us help our beloved brothers' and sisters' souls. Your Support Counts! All for the Glory of God and the salvation of souls! Please click here!
"And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." Matthew 10:42